Reaction

'This is the absolute pits'

Martin Williamson

December 16, 2004

There was no shortage of reaction to the ECB's decision on TV rights, and no sitting on the fence:

Alec Stewart: 'They may be getting a big cheque but, long-term, English cricket will suffer' © Getty Images

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"This is the absolute pits. The game is in shock. I can't see how cricket can promote itself if it deliberately takes itself out of the grasp of the uncommitted follower of the game."
Matthew Engel, editor of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

"There will always be people in certain walks of life who can't afford things. That's just the way it is."
Clive Leach, chairman of Durham

"It will be interesting to see what proportion of this money is going to go to the counties to fund two-week contracts for people like Glenn McGrath."
David Brook, formerly Channel 4's director of strategy

"The sell-off of cricket to the highest bidder is shameful and is a reflection of the short-sighted people running the game."
Kate Hoey, Labour MP and former sports minister

"The ECB have to look at the whole picture. They may be getting a big cheque but, long-term, English cricket will suffer."
Alec Stewart, former England captain

"I am very sad ... but if the alternative bids were unacceptably low, the ECB have been left with no option: they have to protect the best interests of the game."
Lord MacLaurin, former ECB chairman

"This is a very good deal for cricket as it guarantees wide accessibility to watch or listen to the action and secures the future development of the game from playground to Test arena."
David Morgan, chairman of the ECB

"The problem with moving a sport off a mainstream channel is that the hole closes over and you can't get back."
Peter Baxter, producer of BBC radio's Test Match Special

"In purely financial terms we had to go for this deal. From a personal point of view terrestrial coverage is the way I watched the game and the way I fell for the sport."
Mark Tagg, chairman of Northamptonshire

"The chances of live cricket ever being on free-to-air TV again now seem remote as it is hard to see how or why a terrestrial broadcaster would bid for the rights when they come up again."
John Stern, editor of The Wisden Cricketer

"I don't see any minuses, it is a deal that has assured the future of both Test and county cricket."
Paul Russell chairman of Glamorgan

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